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I don't know for him but for me there are so many negatives it proved impossible to fish with. I fish very clear water and braid lowered my catch rate, no matter what "professional academic experts" say about that being impossible and bass being too stupid to notice. Worse for every bass I catch I get more hits from by catch like tarpon, snook or jacks. Braid has absolutely zero, ziltch, nada abrasion resistance forcing me to use at a minimum, 20# hard mono leader, many 40# if I'm using an expensive lure! More knots and no wonder knot has an exceptional record tying big thick mono to thin braid in the real world. Those thick knots with a hard mono tag end are murder going through your guides. My shorelines are solid marl rock full of exposed ancient coral and shell. Zebra Mussels coat most submerged structure. Braid just doesn't last a trip. Yeah I could wrench my drag down, lose all the salty fish, not enjoy the fight by dragging fish in like a flw/bass pro and not experience true fishing, but what fun is that? I could change my personal requirement of having reels last me a generation and let the braid ruin my gear with the drag wrenched to the max but I don't want to. I also need the stretch of mono as I fish treble hooked lures 99% of the time. My catch rate increases from the degree of forgiveness that compensates for my sometimes being too jealous in fighting a big fish. None of these ideals or causes could affect anyone else in the world. Your right that its all personal preference. But what gets me is 99% of forum users tell folks your nuts for using anything but braid but know nothing about the conditions of which the person is fishing or what they want to get out of their fishing experience. Everyone thinks they have to fish like a pro and be equipped like a pro. Dragging a dink along the top of the waters surface isn't fishing, its imitating a t.v. personality. Nobody seems to have any idea how to really fight a fish let alone enjoy the battle. BPS isles now have a 4 foot section of none braided lines and 50 feet of double sided isle of nothing but braid. Less choice is always bad. The industry is thrilled that consumers buy braid at ever increasing prices. They are thrilled that it has negative effects on rods and reels when it is used the popular and improper way, they use that to get you to buy that next generation reel.

Ive been using mono for everything for 40+ years. I keep trying braid on a spinner here and there but only to avoid line twist issues. Avoid worm hooks that are thick gauge or are marked superline hooks. Thin hooks penetrate easier and will compensate some for the stretch of the mono.

That's where I find braid at its weakest. Unable to with stand the gillplates of bycatch or cope with the slightest touch of a zebrafish mussel or marl rock.

Aren't all three of them really the same person? I suppose his first guest could be Pres. Trump. He'd being claiming he is an avid striper fisherman on the east river while the camera shows him really his spinner backwards with the reel on top of the rod!!

I think its a poor choice for every technique except spinning reels. So to each his own....

I like that young kid too. Genuine humor and a pinch of frugality that I find refreshing. But then I saw the click to support notation on the side of the screen. Like so many do now. Amazed to hear that folks can make a living at this but then today I was told that there is a professional pickle ball association and people are professional pickle ballers!!!!! Making money. Not to be the salty Mr. Negative that I am but I find it hard to support a youtuber or just accept that someone can be a professional pickle baller. But then I still have a hard time accepting that people can make millions driving in a circle or wearing tights and slapping butts on a Sunday afternoon too.

Tsunami is a saltwater brand. The smallest conventional they make, the TSST is a trolling reel that holds 220+ yards of 20#. Tsunami doesnt make anything remotely capable of casting bass sized lures. Maybe their baitrunner spinning reel could do you for shiner fishing. ANyway for you to get that reel to throw any where further than your feet, you are going to have to throw 2 ounce plus!

I searched for info on many forums on the Lews spinners and didn't receive any positive feedback. I have a Revo Inshore that has been rugged, smooth and caught me many big fish without a hiccup.

Amen. Kinda makes fishing great anywhere doesn't it? I wish I could keep that mentality even when they are not bighting.

Theres a thread about over complicating tackle and simplifying things for more success. I did that with line a while ago. Trilene Big Game for everything. Bought in bulk and changed when needed, which isn't as often as braid lovers claim it is. 12lb., 15lb. and 20lb. depending on application. It has been a system that has worked out well for me, I wish I could do it that easily with lures.

Hobby or craft store should have replacement blades for x-acto type knives. Many different kinds of blade types, one is like a chisel putting the sharp edge on the front. It makes trimming the rough edges smooth easy.

I wont watch any tournament crap because of Ike

Yeah and now Wink News is slamming the C.O.E. for choosing to protect the rare endangered Cara Cara over the rights of Johnny Yankee to LOOK at non brown water. They reported boat sales are crashing and Betty Snowbird wont let her hubby Elmer take his boat out in the toxic sludge. SO now he wont trade his great lakes boat in for bay boat and dealers are going under left and right. Bull$&*! This entire ordeal is just like Kevin Spacey was quoted as saying the other day. When you make news into entertainment, its no longer news, its make believe.

Cultiva

Rebel Ring Worms? Do they still make those? I'd kill to find them.......

Worst= Florida. Extreme pressure. Complete lack of local interest makes sure the tiny bit of funding provided by a development minded governor, goes straight to the coast. Wildlife law violators find the judiciary sympathetic. Unregulated population growth. The governors first act in office was to eliminate the states Dept. of Environmental Protection's pollution investigations unit to promote a friendly business atmosphere. Extreme heat only getting worse every year along with added pollution has exploded exotic cichlads and tilapia further destroying freshwaters with tonnage of nitrogen waste into the water, leaving the few bass left to be stunted and unhealthy. Best=Tennessee Within one hour, fishing from the bank at a boat ramp of Kentucky Lake in Paris, I caught 3 species of bass. In one afternoon I caught from the shore, more bass than I catch via boat in a month in Florida.

I don't find it amusing, more like sad. Not that I begrudge them but I'm a self admitted recovering addict. Most of my life I couldn't even make a grocery trip into walmart without buying tackle. I am just now doing like you and cutting inventory of tackle I use. High dollar baits no longer interest me since 99% never showed any noticable success over traditional baits or at least standard modern baits. The only exception has been the Pompadour which has earned a place in the boat on every outing. Now instead of surfing japan tackle or tackle warehouse I seek out small regional lure makers, cottage industries and enjoy going out with a much more limited amount of tackle and outfits.

I fish it most often weightless. Simply drag it with little movements especially around man made structure where I usually find harder bottom.

I'm a couple counties south of you but winter is prime time here. Summer heat kills the fishing. We are mostly in post spawn right now. They are hungry but difficult in temperment and location right now, many are suspending not far from bedding areas. I'm finding them a little deeper than normal and find I have to put a worm or similar bait right on their nose right now. The tilapia are bedding heavy and the bass are "too tired" to deal with their defensive territorial ways right now so maybe avoid the shallowest areas. The other day in the next county we found the bass slightly more active and willing to chase a fluke or react to a topwater. A lot of this will change with every body of water as they are not all in the same stages of spawning.

Welcome to the curmudgeon army. I won't even buy products from companies who use music I find distasteful in their commercials.

I agree, great tip!

My vote goes to BamaBass or The BassinGuy.

Never take your thumb completely off the spool. Don't try long casts at first, just simple one handed casts until you get the feel better then slowly progress. Use cheap 12# mono, no need to trash a lot of $$$ line until your ready. Pull out the amount of line you expect your longest cast to be, then using electrical tape wrap the spool and reel in the line. That way you will avoid a real fluff monster. Don't use too stiff a rod, use a medium action and use the flex of the tip to help you cast. Most of all don't give up. Spinning is great and you should still use it as a tool to get the right jobs done. But there are certain types of techniques that will become a real joy using a baitcaster.

All my reels are 4.7:1. For every technique, every lure. I've never felt hampered or handicapped by the reels. Actually prefer them and their 'guts' and feel they force me to slow down and that has increased my catch ratio. Not the most fun for buzzbaits maybe but I don't fish them anyway. There is a great story on GON about a old timer in Georgia who has caught more 10# plus bass than perhaps anyone, just using buzzbaits and a 5:1 ratio reel.

They are very popular in my area by inshore anglers. I'm impressed by the ones I've handled in the local shops but haven't found the action I want. I actually thought they were a regional brand and was unaware many knew about them. They are highly thought of by many on a few saltwater forums I frequent.